The Historic Church of Saint Peter Volume III An Anthology of Text and Photographs

Diocese of Greensburg Brownsville, Pennsylvania 2018 The Historic Church of Saint Peter

Volume III

An Anthology of Text and Photographs

Diocese of Greensburg Brownsville, Pennsylvania 2018 tep back in time nearly 175 years to 1845, and imagine, if you can, 183 parishioners in a small western Pennsylvania community laboring to build a locally quarried, hand-hewn stone church that, to this day, has Snot seen its architectural equal, as an example of British Isle neo Gothic style in the United States. Today, as we walk in the path of those early settlers and Irish stonemasons who labored to give us this outstanding edifice, we ask you to travel with us through these chapters of life of our church. If these walls could talk they would tell us about the unique experiences this church has endured in order to preserve this architectural gem. We can not only enjoy its history, but through the power of faith that has blessed parishioners for so many years, we can look forward to many years yet to come.

What is a church? -- our honest sexton tells, Tis a tall building, with a tower and bells.’

By George Crabble The Church

4 A Heritage Restored

uch of the interior beauty of the old building was Brownsville charge July 18, 1931. restored (during the period of the Depression M1931 – 1936) by taking away the layers of Upon arrival in Brownsville, he immediately began plaster and paint that hid the old stone walls and by work for the restoration of the old stone church. This the simple, but well-designed heraldic windows as work was completed early in 1936 and was dedicated well as the windows above the main altar and the one on August 18 of the same year. at the rear of the church, all designed by Mr. George Sotter of Holicong, Pennsylvania. In 1937, his silver jubilee year, Duquesne University bestowed on him the L.L.D. degree in recognition of I am informed that when Father Brennan arrived the completed work. in Brownsville in 1931, four of the five banks had He was confined to Mercy Hospital after the lingering failed and few in the parish were employed. A rather illness which left him in critical condition for many inauspicious beginning. But when there was some weeks. question of building a new church, Father Brennan very wisely spoke of the hidden beauties of the old In Brownsville, since his assignment to St. Peter’s July building with the result that as the work progressed 18, 1931, Fr. Brennan was active in the restoration of and was explained to the people the congregation the historic church, which will stand as a monument to looked around every Sunday to find revealed some his labors in the parish and to his zeal in restoring one beautiful feature that had long been hidden from view. of the outstanding shrines of western Pennsylvania. Stone was obtained from abandoned coke ovens, old mansions, piers meant for bridges that were never He became interested in the church building itself built, all hauled to the building site gratis by the men of immediately upon his arrival here. Through gifts the parish. This sort of hearty and devoted cooperation from the congregation and the labor of men of the between pastor and parishioner should really be at the parish, Fr. Brennan directed the church’s restoration base of all building operations for the Church. unceasing until the work was completed in 1936 and the renovated church dedicated in August of that year. Maurice Lavanoux, Secretary (The Historic Church of St. Peter 1936) Liturgical Arts The work attracted widespread attention because Society, Inc. of the liturgical correctness of all details and in that connection Fr. Brennan was granted the degree of Fr. Brennan Obituary L.L.D. by the Duquesne University in 1937, upon the (Brownsville Paper- January 6, 1941) silver jubilee of his entrance into the priesthood.

The Rev. Martin J. Brennan L.L.D. pastor of the Historic Church of St. Peter, Brownsville, died yesterday Fr. Brennan, in a paper January 5, 1941 at 2:30a.m. in the Mercy Hospital, written shortly after Pittsburgh, after a lingering illness. the dedication of the He was born in the Lawrenceville district, Pittsburgh restored church, wrote: and attended St. Mary’s grade school on 46th Street, “Today it stands as a Pittsburgh. He received his high school and college splendid example of education at the Pittsburgh College of the Holy Ghost, Gothic architecture now Duquesne University and graduated in the class which should have of 1908. His entry into the St. Vincent Seminary at been a model for Latrobe was made in September 1908 and ordination designers of churches into the priesthood was obtained on July 2, 1912. for the past century. Architects see in this Rev. Brennan’s first assignment was St. Mary’s parish, church a simplicity in New Castle where he served as assistant. He was Mass and in detail, a transferred to St. Canice, Knoxville, Pittsburgh in beauty of proportion May 1927. He was made Pastor at St. Charles Church, and honesty of Suterville, on September 11, 1930 and was given the construction that

14 Sermon Preached on the Occasion of the One Hundred and Eightieth Anniversary of the First Mass in Brownsville

…This house of God, whose stones groan with the The hush at the moment of consecration speaks to prayers of those who fashioned them, is both a fitting us eloquently of those worshippers one hundred and memorial to the first Mass celebrated on this soil and eighty years ago, of those worshippers who built the a becoming shrine in which that Holy Sacrifice can first church here, of those worshippers who built the be offered daily in His Name. Here we have a worthy church in which we pray today. The solidarity that sits monument in which by the humble submissiveness of written on the brow of Catholics at any time is never bread and wine the Victim of Calvary can offer Himself more conspicuous than when at the sublime moment a Holocaust as there He offered Himself amidst the of consecration the very hush vibrates with harmony. dramatic tract-ability of earth and sky…. So this Holy Sacrifice today is filled with memories of the past and of the faith that binds us to it. …

Rev. Jerome D Hannan (The Historic Church of St. Peter 1936)

38 The Historic Church of Saint Peter stands nobly on a hill located on the east bank of the Monongahela River. Its distinctive Gothic spire atop the rough-cut sandstone wall overlooks the town of Brownsville. Brownsville, formerly known as Redstone Old Fort, dates to 1765. 54 55